


Cruelty or Compassion

by YvaJ



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 13:24:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8715646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YvaJ/pseuds/YvaJ
Summary: When Jareth reappears in Sarah's life, hard lessons abound.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Although this story has pretty strict warnings applied to it, the overall premise is mild in scope. The story was written several years ago and I have taken it out and decided to post it here. Read with some element of discretion. I have given it a teen and up rating because the questionable part of the story is very short and pretty mild by today's standards.

**Cruelty or Compassion**

By: YvaJ

Fall semester had started with a bang and just like many of her peers, Sarah Williams had returned to yet another year at the university. Outside, the trees had started to show the signs of the weather cooling, the leaves taking on the shades of auburn, orange, and yellow.

 _It is such a lovely time of year,_ Sarah thought on this particular afternoon. She and her roommate Kirsten were stocking up on their usual supply of junk food as well as several varieties of drinks. As of last year, both girls had become ‘legal’ and could now consume alcohol. Of course, getting carded was a pain, but that was life.

As they arrived at the local shop, they waved to the cashier and went to get their usual items. These consisted of a two pound bag of skittles, several packages of black licorice (Kirsten’s ultimate weakness), some peach flavored bubble gum (Sarah’s very strange addiction), peach flavored wine coolers, a bag of chips, and a six pack of Heineken.

Approaching the check out counter, Sarah touched her pocket where her identification was kept. Although the shopkeeper knew both girls, he still tried to muster a look of intimidation as he barked out: “I need to see some ID.”

He came across sounding like a drill sergeant, but Sarah dug in her pocket and pulled out the small laminated card. “Bill, we’ve been buying our snacks here since freshman year. One would think you would have our ages memorized by now.”

“Well, that may be the case, Sarah,” he said with a smirk. “But, you never know who could be lurking about.”

“Okay, Fox Mulder,” Kirsten said and laughed as she dug in her purse for her wallet as well. It was her week to pay for the stuff, and Sarah was glad in that as she was completely broke.

“Well, you never know,” Bill said as he pointed to the ‘X-files’ t-shirt he wore. “There’s always a good conspiracy afloat.”

“Right,” Kirsten said as she dramatically arched an eyebrow and handed him her driver’s license as well as a small wad of money.

“Of course, in both of your defenses, I don’t see what damage one could do consuming all this junk food, but given that I know you two, nothing would surprise me in the least if you came back with a skittles hangover.”

“I don’t know,” Kirsten said smirking as she nudged Sarah playfully. “After two beers, Sarah’s usually seeing stars.”

“Oh shut up, you snitch!” Sarah shot back.

In response to this, Bill offered a hearty chuckle. He had known the two girls for well over four years, and he was always amused by their antics. Drama majors, he thought with a smug smile.

“So, you gals working ‘Ren-Fest’ this year?” he asked, referring to the renaissance faire that many of the drama students worked at for some extra acting experience. Word was out that the organizers were hiring a bunch of new actors that year, and it meant extra rehearsals for everyone involved.

“As much as I love it, I can’t do it this year,” Sarah confessed, not even adding that she was bummed about it, as this gave her the opportunity to daydream about the Underground. “I got cast in the latest play, though. It’s not a big role, but it’s enough to keep me busy with memorizing lines.”

“I’m still working Ren-Fest,” Kirsten supplied.

“Yeah, because you didn’t get cast,” Sarah said with an evil snicker.

“I didn’t audition, you smartass,” Kirsten said.

Before Sarah could so much as respond, beyond the doors of the shop, the sounds of tires squealing could be heard. Seconds later, a restored Ford Falcon pulled into the parking lot and Sarah groaned nervously. She turned and looked at her roommate with traces of fear enveloping her. Trapped inside the small shop, the two girls waited and watched as the driver cut the motor and got out of the car.

Instead of speaking, she glanced towards the door as Kirsten’s eyes followed her movements. “Sarah, this does not look good. When are you going to go to the cops about that guy? He’s been stalking you since the first week of classes.”

Sarah swallowed the lump that was lodged in her throat. She had met Marcus Thompson in one of her classes three semesters back and much to her dismay, he had laid claim to her as his girlfriend. Sarah utterly detested him, and although she was not experienced with dating, she knew that his presence meant a hundred shades of trouble.

“Who is that guy?” Bill asked. “I’ve actually seen him around.”

“He was in one of Sarah’s classes about a year and a half ago. He’s a real creep and seems to have it in his head that Sarah’s his _property_. I’ve met him; he’s got the intelligence of a bean and an ego the size of Africa!” Kirsten said.

“Well, if he tries anything in here, I’ll get the police involved myself,” Bill said as he popped his knuckles meaningfully.

Ignoring this, Sarah reached for a plastic bag and started to put their purchases into it as the door swung open and a figure clad entirely in black sauntered into the shop. It was Marcus, all right, the guy that Sarah would have easily voted as the biggest jerk on campus.

As she took in his appearance, she could not help but notice how his coal colored hair was ruffled and his eyes were concealed behind a pair of reflective shades. In both of his ears, earrings rowed up the outer lobe, some of the jewelry hanging down and brushing against his shoulder. _He looked rather like a ‘Hell’s Angel’ wannabe,_ Sarah thought with a shudder. One thing that she could not escape from was the odor that seemed to emanate him.

It was as though he had been bathing in the Bog of Eternal Stench for the whole of summer holidays. _What is it with some people?_ She pondered as she tried to get her nerves in check. _Is soap against their religion?_

“Hey babe,” Marcus said as he idled his way over to where Sarah was standing and linked his arm possessively through hers.

“I am not your babe,” Sarah said snappishly as she carefully pulled her arm out of his hold. Now, I’ll probably have to shower when I get home, because his stench is somehow catching.

“Oh come on, Sarah, you know you like me,” Marcus said. As he spoke he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and tapped it. As the cigarette appeared, he pulled it out and stuck it between his lips.

“No smoking in here, Son,” Bill said as his arms crossed over his chest and he regarded the younger man with a trace of angry indifference.

Ignoring him, Marcus inched his way closer to Sarah, the end of the unlit cigarette brushing idly against her cheek. “Just admit that you’re crazy about me,” he said smirking.

“I am?” She asked skeptically.

“See, I told you,” he said. “That wasn’t so hard now. Was it sugar?”

“That was not a statement, it was a question, you idiot,” Sarah blurted, this time her anger overriding her fear. She turned and looked at Kristen as if to say, ‘get me the hell out of here, right now’.

Kirsten looked at him. “Y’know, Marcus, we’d love to stay and chat, but we really do have to go. Sarah has to…call an old friend tonight.”

“That’s right,” Sarah said hurriedly as she picked up on her friend’s idea and decided to play along. “Jareth is sort of my boyfriend; I don’t see him very much. I only hope that he’ll be home when I call. He’s always on the go, but you know how that is.”

“Are you trying to hook up with another guy?” Marcus demanded. “Is that how it is, babe?”

“Yeah, that’s how it is,” Sarah said trying to stay calm. “And you’d better be careful, Jareth is sort of the jealous type and he doesn’t take kindly to people messing with me.”

“Oh I wouldn’t worry about that babe, I could probably whip his ass,” Marcus said smirking. “Just bring him on, and I’ll show you both what a real man can do.”

“I seriously doubt you could, I mean after all, how do you expect to find a real man if you can’t even find a shower?” Kirsten asked snappishly. “Come on Sarah, let’s get home and get these wine coolers chilled. You know, I’m sort of in the mood for a drink now…” her voice trailed off, but not before she turned around and looked Marcus squarely in the eyes. “…And the next time you want to impress a lady, try soap and water, it’s a lot more appealing than bathing in whiskey.”

With that, the two girls left the shop neither caring that Marcus was standing and staring with a hostile gleam in his eyes. “I’ll show you a real man, Sarah Williams, just you wait,” he uttered darkly as he stormed out of the shop, the door slamming loudly behind him.

~~~~~

Sarah did not forget the confrontation with Marcus very quickly. In fact, the whole thing made her a nervous wreck. It was not so much that she and Kirsten managed to reduce his over inflated ego, but her concerns were now about Jareth.

Although she missed her friends terribly, she could not help but ponder what Hoggle would probably have said to her silly claim that the Goblin King was her boyfriend. It no longer mattered that Jareth’s name was the only one she really felt comfortable mentioning. She simply felt utterly foolish for having done it.

As soon as the words had emerged, she figured that even if Marcus were to go after Jareth, chances are, he would never find him. Even if by some miracle he did, then he’d be no match for the Goblin King’s magic.

For the life of her, she could not figure out why she had let his name drop like that. Was it because she yearned to see him again, or was it because she was addicted to peach flavored bubble gum? The question that still raked havoc with her conscience was: How would he react if he knew what she had said?

It was no great surprise that throughout the months that had followed her adventure, she had actually seen a white barn owl flying through her old neighborhood on several occasions. When she went away to the university, she did not see it for several years, so essentially, she had to dismiss the notion that Jareth was still present in her life. It was only recently that she began to see the bird perched outside her window again and her thoughts instantly returned to the man that represented unceasing wonder and endless magic to her.

On this day, she had spoken his name for the first time since her adventure in the Underground.

“You want one?” Kirsten’s voice suddenly emerged as she put a peach flavored wine cooler on the coffee table in front of where Sarah was sitting.

“Sure,” she said as she reached for the glass bottle and took a sip. As she did, she could taste the peach flavor filling her mouth. She swallowed before returned the drink to the coffee table.

“Are you alright, Sarah?” Kirsten asked.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Ever since we left Bill’s shop, I have this strange feeling that I can’t seem to shake.”

“Do you mean what you told Marcus about having a boyfriend?” Kirsten asked. When Sarah nodded, she continued. “I wouldn’t stress about it. After all, what we told Marcus was just a load of crap. I figured that if it would get him to stop harassing you, it’d be worth it. He’s been hounding you ever since classes started. When is he going to get a clue that you’re just not interested in him?”

“I’m not really thinking about him,” Sarah said idly.

“So if it’s not Marcus, then is it Jareth?” Kirsten asked. When Sarah nodded, she continued. “Where’d you meet him?”

“It was a long time ago, when I was still living at home,” Sarah confessed. “I don’t even know why I felt compelled to say his name. It’s weird, but I’ve never felt the need to talk about him. I guess, I just wanted Marcus to think that I was already taken, but you and everyone else seems to know that I’ve never had a boyfriend. Sure I’ve been on a few dates, but they were nothing, just snagging a pizza or going to a football game. Jareth is, or in this case, was a pretty amazing individual. I couldn’t imagine saying anyone else’s name but his.”

“Was he like a teenage crush?” Kirsten asked. “I mean; what is it about him that made you blurt out his name like that?”

“I guess he left an impact on me,” she said. “He talked to me like I was a grown up, but I was still a kid. I guess he was just not like anyone I had ever met before.”

“Sounds like quite a guy,” Kirsten said as she took a sip of her drink.

“He was, but he…” her voice trailed off and she swallowed.

“He?”

“I don’t know; he was just so different, like something straight out of a dream or maybe a nightmare. There was something cruel about him, but as strange as it sounds, I think there was a reason for it,” Sarah said shaking her head. “He said something to me that sort of stuck, and every time I get scared, I can’t help but remember it. I mean; the way he talked and behaved was similar to the guys at Ren-Fest. I mean there was this feeling with him that was almost medieval.”

“Maybe you picked the right year to quit working the festival,” Kirsten said bluntly.

“I don’t know,” Sarah said. “Either that or I just need some time to work this out for myself. I think I’m going to go for a walk. It’s not dark yet, and maybe some fresh air will do me some good.”

“Are you sure?” Kirsten asked, concern etched in her voice.

“I’ll be fine, I’ll just walk to the drama building and come right back.” She got to her feet and started to walk towards the front door. “I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Okay, I’ll put your drink in the fridge and you can finish it later,” Kirsten said as Sarah nodded before stepping outside and closing the door behind her.

Outside, the sun was starting to sink behind the trees. Dusk had fallen on the town and an uncomfortable chill filled the air. None of this mattered to Sarah; she simply made her way down the sidewalk and away from the apartment building.

Unbeknownst to her, two pairs of eyes were now watching her every move.

~~~~~

The path that led through the park was damp from the rain shower that had happened earlier that day. As Sarah walked, she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered slightly. She should never have left her jacket at home.

Deciding against going back and retrieving it, she continued to make her way through the park in the direction of the building that was adjacent to it. I better stay on the lighted routes, she thought as the lights that lined the path she was taking were suddenly illuminated.

After several more steps, she suddenly could hear plodding footsteps coming from behind her. It was not so much the steps that unnerved her, but the stench that seemed to accompany them. Instead of breaking into a run, she stopped and turned around to see that Marcus was now several meters away and approaching fast.

“Well, well, well, what have we here?” He asked grinning as he reached her and stopped. The cigarette that was lazily hanging in his mouth bobbled about as he spoke. “I see that bitch of a roommate let you out for a time, babe.”

“What do you want?” Sarah asked her voice laced in forced hostility.

“I thought you and me could go somewhere quiet,” Marcus began, “just you, me, a bottle of vodka, and maybe a box of Trojans.”

“I’ve already told you, Marcus, I’m not interested. Why can’t you just leave me alone?” she asked trying to keep her voice steady. If truth were known, she was not exactly comfortable in the park with him. It somehow made the evening even more chilling to her.

In the past Marcus’ advancements had only been verbal, his stalkerish behavior had only started to come out just after the fall semester had reconvened. Sarah had tried so many times to get him to leave her alone, but it seemed as though her objections had fallen on deaf ears. He simply refused to listen to her.

“Oh come on baby,” he said as he pulled the cigarette from between his lips and exhaled, the smoke wafting into the air. Tossing the stogie to the ground, he mashed it out with the tip of his boot. “You know you want a piece of me, Sarah.”

“No, I don’t,” she said firmly. “Just leave me alone!”

“Or what?” Marcus sneered.

 _‘Or what’ indeed,_ Sarah thought desperately as Marcus came closer and grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her towards him. Frightened, she fought against this, but soon found herself plastered against his smelly black imitation leather vest and held captive by a pair of tattooed arms.

Marcus leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. Finding that he liked this, he moved his hands to either side of her face and held her head still while his lips ravaged hers, the taste a mixture of cheap booze and cigarettes.

 _Oh God, now what?_ She thought as she tried to back herself away from him. He seemed unwilling to release his hold and she could feel the kiss intensifying, the taste of his mouth literally making her gag.

She continued to struggle and after several moments, had managed to back her way out of his hold. When she was finally freed from him, she started to run down the path that led back in the direction of her apartment building.

Marcus eventually recovered from the surprise and started after her. As he quickly gained on her, he reached out, grabbed her arm, and roughly pulled her to the ground. “No two-bit hussy is going to make a fool out of me,” he sneered as he started to grope at the top of her shirt.

Without so much as contemplating what she was doing or why, her next words emerged from between her frightened lips.

“I w-wish the goblins would take you away, right now!”

She clamped her eyes closed and waited for the impending kiss, but that never came.

What did eventually come was feeling a pair of gloved hands reaching down to where she was sitting on the ground and firmly, but gently, helping her to stand up.

At that moment, she raised her head and gasped.

“J-Jareth,” she whispered as her adrenaline rush ended and she began to tremble uncontrollably. “H-he was going to…” Sarah’s hysterical voice faded as she shook her head violently, “…y-you s-saved me.”

Once she was on her feet, the Goblin King’s arms lowered and he shook his head. “Will you ever learn, Precious Thing?” he asked in the same cold and hardened voice as she had remembered during their first meeting.

“W-what do you mean?” she asked. “What could I have possibly learned? Maybe how guys are all jerks?” As she spoke, she wrapped her arms around herself. “Or maybe it’s true and I can’t even go for a walk without them trying to assault me. Yeah, if that’s what you mean; then yeah, I’ve learned plenty.”

“I meant the power of your wish, Sarah,” Jareth said.

“Oh,” she whispered, “that.”

“I am now obligated to give you the same choice you had before,” Jareth said, trying to ignore the emotionally broken young woman standing before him. “Either you solve the Labyrinth or your friend will become one of us.”

“H-he’s not my friend,” she managed to speak. “In fact, I could care less if you turn him upside down and dip him headfirst into the Bog of Eternal Stench.”

“Such cruelty,” Jareth responded with a trace of irony in his silky voice.

“I think, for once, I’m entitled,” she began as she shamefully looked away from him, her vulnerability showing. “I mean; you saw what he tried to do.” She paused. “D-didn’t you?”

“Yes, I saw and heard much more than the events that happened here, Sarah,” Jareth said. “I heard you at the shop as well. You were speaking with your friends and I heard what you said. I am your boyfriend, tra la la.”

“I…” Sarah began, her voice catching in her throat. “…I can explain.”

“Alright, explain,” he said. “But first I believe we should speak somewhere else, somewhere a bit warmer. It would do you no good to continue shivering like this.”

Sarah nodded as he conjured a crystal and stepped towards where she was standing. Reaching out, he took her upper arm and they disappeared.

~~~~~

_Your eyes can be so cruel…_

As these words filtered through her conscience, she broke down crying her hands covering her face and her shoulders trembling. She had asked to see her dreams, but this dream was painful, because it showed her the truth. She had not changed much since the Labyrinth, and instead of feeling anger or hate towards the Goblin King, her heart raced in his presence. Now, she believed that she was unworthy of him and was still trying to live through a dream that did not truly exist.

As she continued to weep softly, she contemplated the fact that Jareth would now seek revenge on her. He would no doubt cast her out of his kingdom and she would never see the Labyrinth, the Goblin City, or the castle again.

She would deserve it if it happened.

After several moments, she raised her head and stared out across the landscape, all the while trying to memorize every last detail of it. Her vision soon became blurred by the tears that were streaming from her unhappy eyes.

_I ask for so little…_

_Just let me rule you,_

_And you can have everything that you want._

Jareth had, without either of them realizing it, become a part of her. His presence in her life, even as a simple barn owl, had been a constant reminder to her of what had once been.

She had missed the Underground dreadfully; the taste of peaches in the gum or the drinks had been a simple reminder to her of what had once been, of what it was like to live in a dream-state.

“Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus…” she whimpered the names of her friends. “…I need you.”

What happened next took her completely by surprise.

The crystal she held in her hands vanished at the very same moment Jareth wrapped his arms around her from behind. Silently, he pulled her body against the firmness of his chest as his fingers lightly stroked her cheeks and brushed her tears away. As she rested in his arms, she could feel the softness of his shirt as well the medallion that hung from a leather chord over his chest.

No words emerged from either of them; instead all that could be heard were her muffled sobs. _Does this mean he still cares for me?_ She asked herself. _Or is this merely a sign of pity?_

Ignoring the questions that ravaged her mind, she allowed herself to cry until she had no more tears left to shed.

When at last her emotional outburst had subsided, she felt Jareth silently releasing her and shifting his weight until he was seated beside her.

“Do you still wish to see your dreams, or shall I give you thirteen hours to run the Labyrinth?” he asked softly.

She shook her head, her hands now reaching for his. When at last she had managed to grasp his gloved hands, she kissed them ceremoniously. “Neither,” she whispered, the emotions leaving her exhausted. “I don’t want to journey the Labyrinth again. I can’t do it.”

“So then you have decided that I should grant you your dreams, is that it?” he asked.

“Please don’t hate me, Jareth, but I don’t want to see anymore of my dreams,” she whispered, all the while holding tightly to his hands.

“What is it that you want, Sarah?” he asked formally.

“I want…” she began. “…I want you and this place to be a part of me again. I need you in my life, Jareth, and I can’t understand how I could have lived without you for this long.”

“You wish to come back, is that it?” he asked.

“It’s impossible, isn’t it?”

“No, because wishes are not impossible,” Jareth said as he brushed a lock of her long brown hair from her face. “You see, a small part of you still believes in the power of the Labyrinth.”

“It does?”

Jareth nodded affirmatively. “The power is still within you, Sarah. You simply needed time to find it and wishing Marcus away simply affirmed that. Tell me; is such a discovery as this better than my being some strange version of an Underground hero?”

“You said earlier that I saved myself by wishing him away,” she said.

“You did,” he said with a nod of his head. “You would never have been able to return to the Underground without having made a wish, Sarah.”

“Then what would have happened if you had rescued me from Marcus?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said softly. “You would have returned to your apartment, and time would have continued without you knowing any better.”

“You mean, if you had saved me, then I wouldn’t have seen you at all?”

“No, your people only see me after one of you makes a wish. If I were to have appeared in the park and dispatched of that silly boy, then my involvement would have been nothing more than a dream to you,” he said, his eyes taking on a glint of mischief, “or a nightmare.”

“You’re no nightmare, Jareth,” she whispered. “You’re everything I have ever dreamed of.” As her words faded, Sarah leaned towards him and allowed her lips to gently brush against his.

In response to this, he pressed his lips more firmly against hers and allowed the kiss to intensify. Seconds later, he wound his arms protectively around her and listened as she sighed contentedly.

“Was that the reason you said my name, Precious?” he asked in a sultry voice.

Sarah nodded as she allowed her body to completely melt into his embrace.


End file.
